Sunday 10th April- Perth to Singapore, Singapore to London
Journey not off to the best of starts when we are advised at check-in that we have not been granted an upgrade using our Frequent Flyer points. We suspect that it’s merely a case of Qantas punishing us for not using them over the past two years on our overseas trips.
Service and food on board good but flight attendants seem to be getting older ( or is it just Gail and I getting younger?)
As is so often the case it is wet and windy in Singapore and there is soon a deep depression over the Irelands when we are told that our upgrade request for the Singapore-London sector has also been rejected.
Mood made even worse when we realize that D has window seat and G has aisle seat but on the other side of the aisle. A polite request to a large lady, who bore a striking resemblance to an All Black second row forward, to switch seats was met with a decidedly aggressive ‘No’, much to G’s disgust.
I then had to endure 13+ hours with this female who had by this time been named by G the ‘Butch Bitch’.
Bumpy take-off from Singapore in one of the new A380’s but afterwards enjoyed a very good flight with superb service and top quality food.
Monday 11th April- Arrival in London
Arrive in London at 7.00 am on fine, if a little misty morning.
Leave main suitcases at Left Luggage and catch Tube to Westminster for a one night stay at the renovated Mint Hotel which proves to be great value-for-money and very convenient.
Manage to get early check-in and after watching Rory McIroy implode in the last round of the Masters Golf ( losing to South African Charles Schwarzel ) we walk up past St James Park to the Strand where we do some shopping for outdoor clothes. At 6.30 we meet Daniel and Laura, my brother Tony’s grandchildren, for a meal at a pasta bar in Covent Garden. Great to catch up with the young guys who are both faring well in their respective careers of accountancy and law.
Relatively early night as we try to reduce the effects of jetlag.
Tuesday 12th April- London to Stafford
Lovely full English Breakfast, followed by a stroll around the area on another fine morning.
Judging by the huge number of tourists London is really gearing up for the Royal Wedding on which the Brits appear to be relying for an economic turnaround.
Pick up our Ford Mondeo from Hertz and head off over to Slough meet up with an old friend, Gordon , with whom I had shared an office for 10 years at Ladybird Childrenswear during the 1970’s.
Gordon and his friend Judy still appear to be enjoying a life of gourmet food, quality wine and occasional travel, in spite of having suffered a heart attack during the past 12 months.
Great to catch up on old times over lunch at the Marriott Hotel, after which we drive up to Stafford, arriving at Tony’s at about 6.30.
Great to see Tone and Marg looking so well and surprisingly suntanned, apparently courtesy of 2 weeks lovely sunny weather.
Relaxing evening settling in. Late night for D but G off to bed fairly early as the effects of jetlag take over.
Wednesday 13th April- Stafford
Marg and G take a walk over a lovely rural area nearby called Jacob’s Ladder while Tone and I head off to garage for some repairs to the boot lock on his car. ( getting into the boot by crawling behind the back seats was becoming a bit tiresome! )
D uses then uses T’s mountain bike to go for ride around the area to prepare for Croatia bike tour. While out and about I meet a fellow Old Edwardian ( former students of my old grammar school in Stafford ) David Pearsall, who was also school captain. I diplomatically resisted the temptation to remind him of the day when a sixth-former had broken his nose after being pushed around once to often by the highly unpopular Mr Pearsall.
Dinner at T and M’s. G has another night but D sits up with brother to see Tottenham beaten 4-0 by Real Madrid in Champion’s League.
Thursday 14th April- Stafford
D starts the day with brisk walk along nearby canal. Shopping in Stafford centre and then on to Lilleshall in Shropshire where we have a superb lunch at The Red House.
G’s choice of Scampi not the best as D, M and T enjoy a wonderful Seniors’ Special meal from the Carvery. Less than 35 UKp for 4 meals and drinks! Difficult to beat that and another reminder, if such were needed, that an English pub is still a unique institution, which simply cannot be replicated anywhere else.
Stop by in the village of Gnosall ( where I spent most of my younger days ) to put some flowers on Mum and Dad’s grave.
Rest of day spent allowing the huge lunch to go down.
Friday 15th April - Stafford
M and T have appointments in town so after another pleasant walk along the canal D and G also head into Stafford.
Lunch at a familar haunt called The Soup Kitchen then back to T and M’s for a superb chicken dinner during which T regales us with stories of his National Service days. He is in great form and it’s lovely to see everyone so relaxed and enjoying this all-too-rare time together as a family.
Highlight of the day- while going into Marks and Spencer toilet we meet an old fellow struggling to reverse out of a disabled toilet and meeting a second old guy being helped into the same toilet. The first guy takes one look at the second chap and blurts out “ Jesus he’s in a worse state than I am!’ I didn’t stick around long enough to hear the second guys response or to gauge how much the comment had taken off his life expectancy.
Saturday 16th April - Stafford
Another beautiful start to the day weather-wise. G and D take our usual walk across Jacob’s Ladder and we are treated to a picture-postcard scene- deer, pheasants, hot-air balloons, cattle grazing, truly idyllic.
All morning spent enjoying the sun in the back garden and then off to see an old friend Janet Wiseman in my childhood village of Gnosall. Janet doing very well at 81 years of age after losing her long-term companion, Kate who died the previous year at the age of 97.
Enjoy cordon bleu lunch of 2 hot cross buns in the car before calling on Tony’s daughter Di and her husband Terry who live in a heritage cottage in Gnosall.
Very enjoyable couple of hours just chatting about holidays past and planned, football ( Terry is a Milwall supporter but his rehab is going well!). True to form the Milwall fans had recently carried Turkish flags into their ground during a match with Leeds in sensitive reminder that 2 Leeds fans had been stabbed to death in Turkey the previous year. Things obviously haven’t changed a great deal at the aptly named Milwall home ground of Coldblow Lane.
Back to Stafford for very tasty fish dinner followed by an even tastier dessert of City beating United 1-0 in the FA Cup Semi Final. It’s always one of life’s pleasures to see Sir Alex looking depressed!
Sunday 17th April- Stafford/ Church Stretton
G and D take another stroll over Jacob’s Ladder and then along the canal, passing the lovely Milford Hall Cricket Ground, where D had played a number of games in his youth.
It’s an archetypal English ground in a tranquil, secluded setting, complete with superb pavilion where no doubt cucumber sandwiches are scoffed at tea break on match days.
10.00 am sees us set off towards Shropshire and to the attractive town of Church Stretton, situated close to the Welsh border, where Andy, my nephew, and his wife Mo now live.
Both of them looking very well, especially Andy, who has over the past year lost about 20 kgs. This svelte character is a far cry from the ‘ fat bastard’ ( his words ! ) of well over 100 kgs.
Really good to have our annual get-together over a lamb roast from super chef Andy, ably assisted by sous-chef Mo. Food washed down by 2002 La Rioja Shiraz which we had brought with us. Fine array of cheeses ( one of which smelt like a pair of Andy’s old rugby socks ) rounded off a great meal.
Plans for possible European holiday rendezvous discussed, including even some cycling in France now that they are both into more strenuous exercise.
Ben, their dog as beautiful as ever. ( Craig had once said “ God your’e ugly ,Ben!” when peering into Ben’s character-laden face ). Crufts would probably say that Ben is not classically beautiful but he would no doubt win a prize for ‘ most fascinating canine ‘.
Back at Stafford by 8.00 to hear the news that Stoke had beaten Bolton 5-0 to qualify for FA Cup Final on 14th May against Man City.
